and the Award Goes to....

** warning this post is pretty much all me, me, me and photos of me***  Turn away now if you find yourself inclined!

Some time ago lovely Laura of Hootnz awarded me with a bloggers award. Laura is a crafter and country-home maker extraordinaire. She is also a very friendly reader. (Think of a blogging award as sort of like a chain-letter of love without the nasty threats if you don't pass it on! :o)

The Liebester Blog Award is for showing off bloggers with 200 or less followers and giving your readers an insight to other great blogs.

Then on Wednesday one of the lovely ladies who link up uber Stylist Sarah awarded me with a sunshine blogger award. Sarah is a stunning woman who is a stylist and wears her wardrobe so well. Stylish T to T (top to toe!) This award is for bloggers for their amazing style, their engaging writing, or their inspiring attitude… or all three!

You have to answer 10 questions about yourself (talk about myself? - why yes I'd love to!!) and then pass it on.

Here are Sarah's questions for me:

1.      Why did you originally start your blog? - to complete 100 creative challenges with a friend. Then I discovered I liked it so much I simply kept on going.

2.      Why do you continue to blog? What inspires you to keep going? For me first and foremost my blog allows me to record that there is more than 'playing mum' going on in my life. I find it hard to quantify 'what I do all day?' questions. Clearly my house is not tidier or cleaner than other people's. What do I do? This blog is me answering that questions with the answers to that question that matter to me.(which is why cleaning doesn't feature!) The great satisfaction of looking back over each year recorded in such a way keeps me going, and so does the thought that you'll know if I don't do what I said I would.... call it internet accountability.

3.      What is the most treasured item in your closet? How/why did you acquire it? How can I pick one thing? I guess my wedding dress is a biggie. Most of my most favourite wardrobe items are handmade - endless pleasure, made for me, to suit my style.

4.      What is your signature style piece? I have a bright orange coat I made from furnishing fabric that is probably a 'signature piece' and another coat I made from hand dyed old blankets with needle felting and appliqué - they both get a lot of comments when I wear them.

5.      What movie/TV shows do you find most inspires your style? I haven't watched it but I think Mad Men style is pretty awesome. 

6.      Got any great pics of your sense of style as a kiddo? - Sadly no pics but my mama was always distressed by my obsession with mixing pieces (think woolen tights, summer skirt and miss-matched something else!), I also refused to wear pants for a long time (because they cut me in half) even on the farm. I always remember I didn't want expensive or labels I just wanted lots of clothes and to be always mixing them up differently. I am still someone who craves a huge amount of variety in my wardrobe and my life.

7.      “I can’t believe I ever wore…” a waistcoat and leggings with fuzzy animal print.

8.      Fill in the blank: “My biggest personal style hurdle is my large shoulders and big bust. I jump this hurdle by trying to no add too much volume to the top of my body.”

9.      What era of style do you most identify with and why? 1950s all the way. The shapes, the fabrics, the dressing up for life and swanning about in a pinny the baking. It suits my body shape best. What's not to love?

10.  What is the best advice you would give to a newbie blogger? 1. Know why you blog. 2. be friendly. 3. Write with your own voice and embrace who you are - the world needs you, not a copy of someone else.

I would like to pass the award on to some amazing Christchurch bloggers - there are a lot of us and they are all amazing bloggers but I have limited myself to these -   I would like to nominate (and 3 words I would use to describe them)

Naomi - all round creative, beautiful, related!

Deb - generous in bucket-loads, makes amazing quilts, incredibly insightful

Sophie - refreshing, generous,creative

Max - thrifty, creative, doll-house DIYer

Juliet - talented, quilter, always up for a challenge

Nin - designer, generous, maker

Becky - inspiring mama, creative, interesting

they may or may not choose to participate but here are 10 questions I'd love them to answer.

1. Why the title for your blog?

2. What piece of clothing works the hardest in your wardrobe?

3. If you had to choose only 3 pieces of clothing to wear for the next month (underwear excluded) what pieces would you choose?

4. Which blog do you find consistently inspires you? (could be your faith, your craft, design, clothing, or just general attitude)

5. On a menu what can you never resist?

6. If you could choose 3 words to describe yourself what would they be?

7. What colour can you never go past?

8. City Apartment, Country Mansion, Beach House, Wild Wilderness - which would you choose for a holiday?

9. Best piece of advice you have ever been given

10. Collections - did you have one as a child? Do you have one now?

Please visit their blogs and pop in on Laura and Sarah too you won't regret it. 

(unless you are supposed to be cooking dinner or watching your child do a dangerous move on the trampoline in which case I take no responsibility for burnt pizza or injured children!)